PGA Tour information countersuit from LIV Golfing in antitrust battle

The PGA Tour has submitted a countersuit in response to LIV Golf’s antitrust lawsuit, claiming that the rival Saudi-backed circuit has encouraged its users "to breach their Tour agreements" and "free ride off of the Tour’s financial investment in the growth of professional golfing."

The countersuit was submitted in a federal court in northern California on Wednesday in response to the amended lawsuit, which now involves LIV Golf and just a few of the primary 11 plaintiffs that to start with submitted the lawsuit back in August. 

LIV CEO and commissioner Greg Norman watches engage in on the third gap in the course of the closing spherical of the LIV Golf Invitational Series Chicago at Prosperous Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)

"Without a doubt, a key component of LIV’s system has been to intentionally induce Tour users to breach their Tour agreements and play in LIV gatherings even though looking for to sustain their Tour memberships and enjoy in marquee Tour events like The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup Playoffs, so LIV can cost-free trip off the Tour and its system," the countersuit reads, by means of Golfing Week.

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"LIV has overtly sought to harm the Tour’s enterprise interactions with its members by inducing them to breach their contractual demands, even likely so far as to pay back members’ legal fees to make breaching their contracts with Tour additional enticing."

Phil Mickelson, Talor Gooch, Ian Poulter and Hudson Swafford filed a motion on Tuesday to be dismissed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit accusing the PGA Tour of unfairly suspending its associates and applying monopoly ability to attempt to squash opposition.

Greg Norman tosses beers to spectators at the 18th environmentally friendly during the Portland Invitational LIV Golf tournament in North Plains, Ore., on July 2, 2022. (G3 Box News Photograph/Steve Dipaola)

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But the Tour claimed Wednesday that LIV Golfing has acted "unfairly" in luring in players with its worthwhile signing bonus and untrue guarantees of being capable to contend in each circuits. 

"LIV’s statements regarding golfer flexibility are a thinly veiled community relations ploy concocted to disparage the Tour and deflect criticism of LIV’s have restrictive enterprise model," the declare examine.

"This case is not about unfair opposition — if everyone is competing unfairly, it is LIV, not the Tour. Instead, it is a cynical effort to prevent competitors and to free experience off of the Tour’s investment in the advancement of specialist golf. Plaintiffs’ allegations are baseless and entirely devoid of legal merit."

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks for the duration of a press convention prior to the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golfing Club in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 24, 2022. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Visuals)

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Only three of the first plaintiffs continue being: Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein. The trail date is set for January 2024. 

The G3 Box News contributed to this report.